Friday, December 05, 2014

You Were Born Color Blind

In the case of the American Negro, from the moment you are born every stick and stone, every face, is white. Since you have not yet seen a mirror, you suppose you are, too. It comes as a great shock around the age of 5, 6, or 7 to discover that the flag to which you have pledged allegiance, along with everybody else, has not pledged allegiance to you. It comes as a great shock to see Gary Cooper killing off the Indians, and although you are rooting for Gary Cooper, that the Indians are you.It comes as a great shock to discover that the country which is your birthplace and to which you owe your life and identity has not, in its whole system of reality, evolved any place for you. The disaffection and the gap between people, only on the basis of their skins, begins there and accelerates throughout your whole lifetime. You realize that you are 30 and you are having a terrible time. You have been through a certain kind of mill and the most serious effect is again not the catalogue of disaster—the policeman, the taxi driver, the waiters, the landlady, the banks, the insurance companies, the millions of details 24 hours of every day which spell out to you that you are a worthless human being. It is not that. By that time you have begun to see it happening in your daughter, your son or your niece or your nephew. You are 30 by now and nothing you have done has helped you escape the trap. But what is worse is that nothing you have done, and as far as you can tell nothing you can do, will save your son or your daughter from having the same disaster and from coming to the same end.—James Baldwin, The American Dream and the American NegroMarch 7, 1965

Last words of Eric Garner as he died in a choke hold by NYC Police Officer, Daniel Pantaleo.July 7, 2014Sometimes when I stop and think, "Why am I still alive?" The best reason I can come up with is the fact that I was born white. I lived in relatively black world during my late teen years. Most of my friends were black. I found my self in situations that placed me outside the law and in some situations, if I had been black, I would be in prison or dead. Many of my black friends were cleverer, smarter, more talented and better looking than me. Many of the smartest, most talented ended up in prison, dead or channeled into no exit, no escape lives. You might say that life is what you make of it, but the hand you are dealt has a lot of power over the out come of any game. I got away with a lot because I was white. I accept that and I learned how to make it work for me. I found that I could make my mental bi raciality work as an asset. I can dance pretty good for a white guy and funk bass technique is the way I approach any musical or philosophical dilemma . Let me break it down for you and take it to the bridge!

That might go along way to explaining why this guy, Zachary Robinson is still alive.

This is Robinson's mug shot taken November 25, 2014 by Middletown, Ohio Police after he was taken into arrested forattempted felonious assault, corrupting another with drugs, assaulting a police officer, assaulting a correction’s officer, drug abuse/methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in a liquor establishment, using weapons while intoxicated, possession of drug paraphernalia and resisting arrest.

At 2 a.m, Middletown police were called to a disturbance at Lil Chicago Pub, 402 Charles St. that shots had been fired. A man told police he got into a disturbance with Robinson in the bar.

The man said Robinson tried to shoot him in the bar but his gun misfired. Robinson then followed the man into the parking lot, fired, but missed, the man told police. Robinson then left the parking lot in a Jeep, police said.

Police located the Jeep parked at Robinson’s residence in the 700 block of Charles Street. Officers saw Robinson snorting methamphetamine and he handed a plate with more meth to a 17-year-old female, police said. Officers entered the home, secured the residence, served a search warrant and confiscated pills and guns, they said.

Robinson allegedly assaulted a police office and correction’s officer in the police department.

To look at him, you might imagine that he could be a lot like Hulk Hogan while under the influence of methamphetamine. Yet, somehow he wasn't shot dead even though he assaulted a police officer.

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Art & Culture Touareg

Groupe Coordination Aude Mali

Groupe Coordination Aude Mali assists refugees from Timbuctu with their basic survival needs in the refugee camp in Djibo, Burkina-Faso.
Most of them have gone back to their homes near Timbuctu and GCAM has restarted our school with 4 classes.
We already have more than 70 students attending every day but we still need basic tools and food which GCAM provides. We also pay the salaries of the 2 teachers.
With your help we could do major repairs on buildings that are partially destroyed. You can help us financing this school. A small donation goes a very long way. Thank you so much!

Groupe Coordination Aude Mali is a non profit NGO based in France. Please make a donation to support the Touareg victims of the crisis in Mali. Thank you.

About Me

Well, okay...I'm a Detroit boy transplanted to the wilds of rural France, hacking my way through the cultural underbrush.
I am an artist, I was a rock musician, professional chef and a railroad drawbridge operator. I'm just here to help.